The King and his Joker
by Saika-6
Summary: There's always a game waiting for him out there. And this is one he'll always play; no matter how unpredictable the most valuable player is.
1. Chapter 1

**Skyscraper Incident**

Ikebukuro was going along with it's usual antics; Mikado, Anri, and Masaomi were fresh out of classes and heading home, Simon was out reluctantly trying to get people to try Russian Sushi, and Shinra was giving Celty information on a job designated to her by the good ol' information broker. The sun began to settle down, the streetlights began to light up, the streets seemed to grow louder. And then there stood Shizuo; lighter and cigarette in hand, ready to make useful time out of his break. The Yellow Scarves were basking in their reign of terror, one that had been established a couple of days ago, and the recent slasher attacks on civilians had added more turmoil to the atmosphere that surrounded Ikebukuro. And yet, there he stood —leaning against a random cold building, calmly sucking on the last of his nicotine stick, swiftly pushing his left hand inside his pants pocket like nothing bad was happening.

"Ahahaha-hahahahaaa!" It's that damn broker.

Shizuo pushes himself off the building he was leaning against and faces the street. He looks to his left, then his right, focusing in on the crowd. Nothing. The son of a bitch must be haunting him. He hears it again, that stupid cackle that reluctantly flashes the image of the bastard in his head. There's no denying it now; Izaya's around and he's making a fool out of Shizuo.

Shizuo spins around angrily and tries to figure out the direction the noise came from, but again, he sees nothing. Nothing but gray buildings and bright lights. His heart is racing, his left hand in a fist ready to make contact with the wall parallel to him when he sees a few small rocks fall from the sky. He shoots his gaze upwards and sees him - -Izaya. His flailing arms were extended outwards away from his body while his feet lazily traced the edge of the building.

Without a moment to spare, Shizuo drops his now broken cigarette onto the pavement, runs inside the building, races up the stairs onto the skyscraper and places his trembling hand on the handle. It swung open with such force, it broke off the hinges and swirled in front of Shizuo. He clasped the unhinged part of the door with his right hand, his left still on the handle, and lets out the foulest "IIIZAAAYAAAAAA!" his lungs had ever professed. Izaya stopped, turned and let his arms fall to his sides all while still standing on the ledge. His eyes were fixed on Shizuo and the smirk on his face grew longer the closer the bartender got.

Shizuo's pace quickens as he effortlessly flings the door over his head when he sees Izaya draw back. Izaya's toes began drifting from the ledge leaving the soles of his shoes to be the only connection between him and the building. Shizuo's mouth dropped momentarily, easing the muscles in his face, forcing him to let out a quiet gasp while his hands freed themselves from the door. He jerked himself towards the falling Izaya and clenched at the sleeve of his coat. Without hesitation, Shizuo pulls Izaya back into the safe perimeters of the building.

"Wha - - What the hell were you doing, huh?" His hands pulling on the fabric over Izaya's chest. "Answer me!" Shizuo presses his forehead onto Izaya's. Seconds pass and there's still no answer. The grip on Izaya's clothes grows tighter.

"Hmph.." The smirk has turned to a full, devilish smile. "Don't tell me you were worried about me, Shizu-chan."

Embarrassed, Shizuo loosens his grip and pulls away from Izaya. "Ha," he replies, putting both of his hands in their designated pockets. "I wasn't worried. I couldn't let you die that way. I'm the one who—"

"- - whose supposed to kill me, right?" Izaya works to adjust his disheveled clothes and begins to take small steps toward Shizuo. "You know," he pauses. His head instantly cocks to the left, his arms bend at the elbow inclining his palms to lay horizontally. His eyes close before he continues, "I'm starting to believe you don't want to kill me anymore."

Silence.

Izaya slowly opens his right eye, places his hands on his waist and lets out a laugh.

Under his breath, Shizuo let's out an almost playful "__Idiot___"__._He secures the door back into his hands while Izaya basks in his sinister laughter and chugs it directly at him. Seconds before the door comes close to making contact with Izaya, he spins out of it's way, pulls his knife out of his pocket and lunges towards Shizuo.

The knife rips through the air diagonally, vertically, horizontally. Both bodies feverishly dance left to right, side by side. They're both getting tired, but refuse to stop. __Slash___,__rip!__,__tear__,__pant__._Repeat.

Izaya raises his knife above his head, jolts forward and drags it across Shizuo's chest. Bubbles of blood begin to appear randomly from the cut, decorating his body and shirt with different shades of red.

"You bastard!" Shizuo slaps the knife out of Izaya's hand and grabs it with his right hand as it flips in mid air. His left clutches onto Izaya's neck and choke slams him into the ground. Their legs fall in between one another's, their bodies and eyes perfectly aligned. Shizuo brings the knife to Izaya's lips and presses it against them.

The knife is stained with Shizuo's blood, but Izaya doesn't seem to care. __Lick___._"Mmm." Shizuo's eyes quiver, his throat tightens, his teeth bite his lip. __Lick,______lick.__

"You taste…so __good__."

Izaya props himself up enough from the ground to have his left hand act as support for his upper body. His right hand works it's way up the left side of Shizou's face. Shizuo's head drops, his gaze follows. The space between their bodies tightens as Izaya runs his fingers through Shizuo's blonde hair. The grip becomes painfully firm. He pushes forward, forcing Shizuo to loose his balance. The tables turn; Izaya's now the one on top.

"Just what the hell- -" Shizuo struggles.

"Now, now. Fighting this won't do you any good, Shizu-chan."

Izaya's hips thrust, slowly moving out and in, rubbing lightly on Shizuo's groin.

"__Uh__…." Shizuo's hips begin to move. His fingertips trace the crevices of Izaya's lower back. He rotates his lower body clockwise, stops, and then continues to push up and down.

"Shizu- _-___uh__…."

Belts unbuckle. Pants graze past ankles. Izaya places his right hand on Shizuo's neck, slips his free hand under Shizuo's underpants and begins to caress what lies underneath.

Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Slowly. All while adding pressure to Shizuo's neck.

Uh-_-___UNNPH___…_The soft moans escaping from their mouths grow louder.

The motion in Shizuo's pants increases. Their lips close in. Shizuo sticks a finger in Izaya's mouth. __Suck___.___Kiss__. __Suck__. __Lick___._The veins on Shizuo's neck and even some on his face begin to protrude. His heart is only moments away from bursting out of his chest.

"Shit…" Shizuo arches his trembling body, looks into the sky, and pulls on Izaya's shirt. He's almost __there__.

"Are you gonna come, Shizu-chan?" There's that damn smirk again.

"Ha!" Izaya strokes harder. __Shiver___._"Ah - - aaah." Y-yes…" Gulp.

It stops.

"Ahahaha-hahahahaha!" Izaya belts out as he runs towards the edge of the building.

"H-hey!"

He spins, flashes Shizuo a smile and leaps.

"IIIZAAAAYYYYAAAAAAA!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Fun at the Warehouse**

It was a chilly night in Ikebukuro. The red lit moon peered over the crowd of people that were hastily trying to find their way out of the thick, gray mist that covered the streets. Not even the bright city lights could serve as guides for the Ikebukuro residents, well, all expect for one. Izaya Orihara. His fur cuffed hood and sleeves swayed as he strutted around a street lamp. He had just gotten off the phone with one of his clients and was ready to head home when a red car came swirling past him.

"IIZZAAYAAA!"

__Shit.__

Shizuo's a few feet away trying to free a stop sign from the concrete underneath it. He pulls on it almost effortlessly and holds it in between his thumb and index finger in his right hand. His eyebrows arch, his waist twists to the right, his arm follows and within seconds, the sign flies after an already fleeing Izaya.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Ha-ha! You think I'm gonna stick around and risk getting hit?"

"Hmph!"

Izaya has no idea where he's going, but he's sure as hell hauling ass. Shizuo's on his trail, flinging whatever he can at him and missing.

They turn here and there and eventually end up near a warehouse that appears to be close to a shipping dock. There's nowhere left to run and Izaya knows it. He reaches in his coat pocket, pulls out his weapon and faces Shizuo.

__SMACK~__

Shizuo had ripped off a metal door from a tractor and knocked Izaya out.

_Hours later…._

When Izaya comes to, he finds himself chained by the arms to a hook hanging from the ceiling of the warehouse. His pounding head is riddled with a stream of dried blood, his feet are an inch shy from the floor and his coordination is shot. It took a couple of minutes for his vision to come back and when it finally did, he saw Shizuo standing near a light switch, with his left hand in his pocket and a half smoked cigarette lazily hanging in between his lips.

He flicks the light switch on, pulls his right hand over his face and retracts the cigarette from his mouth. There's only one working light bulb and it just so happens to be located above Izaya. It flickers a few times before it settles to a dim, yellow light.

"This- this can't be happening." Izaya pulls on the chains. __Damn.__

Shizuo stop before Izaya and removes his shades. He leans in a little closer, puts his left hand on the right side of Izaya's face and smiles. He unzips Izaya's coat, rips his blood stained black shirt in half and takes a long puff from his cigarette.

__Tssss~__

"Unph!" Shizuo twists his cigarette on Izaya's chest until the last of the embers loose their red-orange glow. A surge of pain and pleasure force Izaya's body to twitch.

"Figures you'd be into shit like this."

"I could say the same for you, Shizu-chan."

Irritation takes over Shizuo as images from what happened last week on the skyscraper flood his mind. His body tenses up as he remembers how good Izaya's body felt against his, how his hips and hands massaged his cock. And for what? He was so close to cumming, but that damn bastard ruined it. All that excitement and lust left with Izaya the moment he jumped off the building. Now it's payback time.

Shizuo shakes his head to rid himself from the incident. He makes a fist and lands a solid right hook on Izaya's gut. His left follows and connects with Izaya's nose. Blood begins to trickle down to the floor. Izaya's head drops as a soft grunt escapes his ruby tainted mouth.

Izaya hangs still for a minute. Shizuo decides it's time to head out. Torturing Izaya for what he had done to him a few days back while he's out cold doesn't sound like much fun.

He turns his back on Izaya and lets out a heavy __siiiigh.__He lifts his right leg a couple of centimeters forward when he feels a pair of scrawny legs wrap around his arms and waist. The legs press harder, immobilizing Shizuo.

"Now, where do you think __you____'____re __going? Hmmmm?" The shrill whisper weakens Shizuo.

Izaya's warm wet tongue begins to tickle Shizuo's extended neck. He gradually licks up, gently pressing the hard tip of his tongue behind Shizuo's ear before he pulls away. He continues to do it over and over and over again until his teeth bite down on the ear he's been teasing. Shizuo tilts his head, matches his lips with Izaya's and begins to kiss him.

Their mouths open slightly at first, allowing a narrow space for their tongues to meet and dance around. A string of saliva stretches as they pull away from each other. They stop, take a deep breath and kiss harder.

Izaya's hips begin to move. He kicks off his shoes and starts to use his feet on Shizuo's bulge.

This sends Shizuo over the edge. He frees himself from Izaya's grasp and puts himself in front of him. Izaya's pants fall to the floor.

Shizuo twists the chain Izaya is dangling from around his right arm and tugs. The ceiling breaks, releasing the hook the chain was attached to and flinging the lovers to the floor.

Shizuo props himself on all fours over Izaya. Their lips haven't departed and by the way things are going, they aren't going to anytime soon. Izaya's arms find comfort around Shizuo's neck. Seconds later, Shizuo hides his right hand in the small front opening of Izaya's boxers.

The warmth of his hands sends Izaya's head to the side. Shizuo begins to explore the exposed neck with his tongue, lightly tracing the veins up and down.

__Suckle~__

"Unph…"

The throbbing muscle in Shizuo's hand gets bigger. He scoots down, his tongue still tracing the flesh above Izaya's hard cock. He pulls down Izaya's boxers, looks up to him, and then buries his head between Izaya's legs. Shizuo parts his lips wide enough to welcome the head in his moist mouth. He pulls away slowly, opens his mouth, sticks out his tongue and moves slowly down the shaft. His right hand begins to jerk. He moves faster.

"A-aah…Shh-shizu-.."

Shizuo thought about stopping, but he couldn't. The way Izaya responded to every lick, suckle, and jerk made him want to keep going. So he does.

Izaya's breath quickens. His head turns to the left, his eyes close, his hands clutch at the chains around his wrists.

"Mmmm.. uh!" In a matter of seconds, he finds himself swallowing Izaya's milk.

He gets up, wipes his mouth clean and replicates Izaya's signature smirk. He pulls out a cigarette, lights it and turns. He takes one last look at the shuddering, exposed body laying before him before he walks out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Play Fight (pt.1)**

A slinky arm propped itself onto a desk, the hand attached to it is sustaining the weight of a head with dark, disheveled hair. The free one had it's hand on a mouse while a pair of maroon eyes overlooked a bright monitor. __Siiiigh___._Both of his wrists were still colored with shades of purple, green and yellow. A little more than two weeks had passed, but the damn reminders were still there. Not even his coat could cover them up.

He'd always end up with some sort of mark on his body. Ones that proved the strength and ill-intent of the monster that provoked them, but these didn't come from a fight. They come from some place he never thought he'd see. A place he would never admit dwelled in his dreams.

Despite Izaya's ruling hand over Ikebukuro, he couldn't have predicted, or even intended for Shizuo to keep him chained in that warehouse. He wasn't into the idea of revenge, hell, he didn't think he'd ever have to be in the position to consider retaliation for anything. He knew he'd earn a few enemies because of the business he managed, that was a given, but no one ever tried to mess with him after he'd done whatever foul shit he planned out. There was never a reason for him to go out of his way to make someone pay, but what he experienced, what he felt deep in his loins.. it just wasn't going to be something he could ever forgive. Something he will never forget. The burning sensation deep in his stomach that churns every time he remembers how Shizuo's lips wrapped around his hard—

__Dammit. ____I____'____ve ____got ____to ____stop ____thinking ____about ____that!__

He wasn't so sure why it bothered him the way it did. Maybe it was because never in a million years did he think Shizuo would commit to such a thing - -with him of all people. Maybe it was because it was the first time anyone took him on like _t__hat_.

No, it bothered him because he's thought about it before. He'd force him self to pretend he didn't, but when he'd lay in bed after a long day of dealing with his clients, he'd close his eyes as his hands slid under his pants, as his brain conjured up what ended up happening in real life.

"Why didn't Shizu-chan stick to his same ol' boring gimmick? Why couldn't he just beat me up and leave me there to chuckle at the pain he'd always manage to inflict?"

With a quick spin of his chair, he pushes up and picks at the phone in his pocket. He flicks it open, presses the 'down' arrow until he finds the number he was looking for.

"I've got a job for you."

On the opposite side, a former Blue Squares member listens as the details of his new job unfold.

"I don't care what you do, really. Just give him a good beating. You know, the type that will make your new gang worth talking about."

"And who exactly are we talking about, huh?"

A smirk blooms as the next words spill out. "Shizuo Heiwajima."

"WHAT? NO WAY!" Ahem. "I mean, that guys a monster! How can - -"

"Ah, just do it. There's a good amount of money in it for you, Horada-san."

The tremble in Horada's voice lingered as he unwillingly accepts the job. It wasn't a job he wasn't particularly happy to go along with, but he figured things wouldn't end as bad if he had at least 30 guys with him to help. The money was certainly the main motivation tho.

"Call me when you're about to start." He ends the call and shifts his attention to a window and the city moving beneath him. There's always a game waiting for him out there. And this one was one he'll always play; no matter how unpredictable the most valuable player is.

**(...to be continued...)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Play Fight (2 / 3)**

******pt.2******

The smoke was waving itself into oblivion as the tall blond hurried away from it. He had just finished a long shift of following Tom around and whoever decided to skip out on the debt that hung over their sorry little heads. All he wanted right now was a nice bottle of awamori; the only drink that's been able to block out the details of a recent event.

He settled with the bar around the corner, slouched onto the seat closest to him and ordered the bottle. The room was dark, covered in a cloud of smoke that only grew bigger the longer he stared at it. He drew back five shots, one after another, each one fighting the flashbacks that leeched into his head every time he closed his eyes. It wasn't until the sixth when everything around him became hazy.

_There. __That__'__s __better._

He fiddled with the small glass for a few minutes before he poured another shot. He looked at it; wondering if it would be a good idea to throw this one back. _"__I__'__m __not __so __sure __I __can __stand __up __right __now. __Tch, __the __hell __with __it.__"_One more turned into another and another and another. He had paced himself in between each grueling drink, but the way his knees almost gave out when he stood up to leave made it clear he had way too much. He cleared his throat, straightened his back, and stepped outside.

The streets were better this way. The way the people moved alongside each other, the little conversations he picked up on as he moved passed them were bearable. Whatever was bothering him before this elated state was in the past and all he wanted now was to get home and rest.

Ah, but this is Ikebukuro. Expect one thing and get slapped with another.

He ended up in the middle of Nishiguchi Park and since he wasn't so sure he could walk without sending his head for a spin, he decided to hang out. He took out his pack of cigarettes, picked one from the five that were left and looked for his lighter.

It wasn't until his eyes focused in on the swarm of yellow that surrounded him when he knew something was up. There must've been 15 guys, 20 tops, looking at him. Each one had their own weapon at arm's length. Some even cracked their knuckles as if their hands alone could beat the living shit out of someone like Shizuo.

"Shizuo! What a surprise running into you like this!" Horada wouldn't be this cocky any other day, but the intoxicated state Shizuo found himself in was obvious to anyone that payed enough attention.

"Ha, what the hell do you want?"

A crooked smile spreads over Horada's face. He picks up his cell and holds it close to his ear. "We've got him."

It didn't take long for Shizuo to put two and two together. Goddamn flea set him up.

"Get him!" Men with metal bats, chains, and crowbars ran in first. Shizuo didn't get a chance to clear something for protection, so he settled to fight with what he had -his body. One by one, each member was stripped from their instrument, allowing Shizuo to land spinning kicks, hook combinations and an occasional laugh. But with each body that fell, there were three more to replace it.

Shizuo scanned the area for a tree, a pole, or something to help keep his attackers from landing blows, but nothing was within arm's reach. __Damn.__

And then there it was, that stupid fucking laugh. In the split second Shizuo took to look for the son of a bitch, a metal bat right about smacked his left leg from his body. His knees buckle. There's no doubt about it; his leg is broken.

A crowbar comes flying in, striking his lower back, knocking the shades from his face. The sheer look of pain and confusion across Shizuo's face catches Izaya off guard. He had been watching everything from the top of a lamp post.

"Why the hell aren't you fighting back?" He murmured.

Just then, Horada instructs his minions to continue attacking. One by one, every 20 or so members take turns kicking, punching, and hitting Shizuo with whatever it was they had in their hands. He manages to push some of the ones standing in front of him off, completely forgetting that there were still some behind him.

Izaya jumps off the building and begins to run towards the group. "That's enough, Horada!" He stops when he realizes the sound of desperation and panic that just slipped out of his mouth. _Shit._

"I'll take it from here."

Without having to tell them twice, Horada and his yellow bandits walk away, celebrating and recalling the blows they managed to inflict on the strongest man in Ikebukuro.

******pt.3******

Izaya took small steps towards the body that was trembling with pain in front of him. This was what he wanted, what he payed to have done, but, seeing Shizuo like this…i-it just…wasn't right.

"Get the fuck away from me, flea." Shizuo tried to push himself off the floor, but ends up falling back down to his knees. "I might not look like it right now," he looks right into Izaya's eyes and continues, "but I can still kick your ass for doing this to me."

"Ah, Shizu-chan. Let's worry about that some other time, __ne__?" He moves in closer, bends down, and extends a hand. That damn smirk is plastered on his face and as much as Shizuo would like to slap it right off, he's not so sure he can make his hand do it. He may not be as smart as Izaya, but he knows better than to pick a fight when he can't even stand.

"Hmph."

"Fine, how 'bout this." Izaya stands up. "We get you all fixed up, get you nice and clean, and whenever you're ready, we'll fight." Shizuo shoots him a look that screams __'____You____'____re ____lying.____' __He extends the same hand again and tries to sound as sincere as possible. "You know, to make this fair."

Shizuo takes the hand. It only takes about 5 seconds before he's on the floor again. "It's no use!" The frustration in his voice sends chills down Izaya's spine. He's seen Shizuo mad before, but he's never seen him like __this__. These are emotions he likes to see from his humans, he'll admit to that if you were to ask him. Shizu-chan, on the other hand, isn't a human. He's a monster and yet, it took every fiber of his being not to apologize over and over for doing this to him.

Izaya kneels next to Shizuo's right side and rolls him on his back. His eyes take note of the cuts and bruises that cover a good portion of Shizuo's arms and face. His right arm hovers above the injured leg, his eyes looking into Shizuo's as if asking permission to continue with the awkward physical. He reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out his switchblade knife.

"What the fuck?"

"Calm down. I'm just gonna cut off some of this fabric off your leg," his head tilts and glows with embarrassment "..uh..so that I can see what …uh…how bad you're injured." __Chuckle.__

He pinches the black fabric and carefully makes a small cut. He repositions his blade and does away with the rest. And then he sees the damage. A little piece of bone was sticking out right under Shizuo's left knee.

"What? It's broken isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"Goddammit."

Izaya's had his share of broken bones, many of which Shizuo can take total responsibility for, but he had never actually taken the time to look at them.

Curiosity moves his hands over the peering bone. His index finger extends while the rest of his fingers curl into his palm. __Pressure.__

"IZAAAYAAA!"

His finger doesn't move. He presses harder.

"Fucking bastard, stop it! That shit hurts!"

Izaya's eyes are glistening now.

"Stooo- -" A low grunt interrupts the scream.

"Shizu-chan?" He climbs over Shizuo and pokes him on the forehead. "Did you… pass out?"

Izaya is laughing so hard he has to hold his stomach to stop it from hurting. After a few good minutes, he takes his cell from his pocket and dials Shinra's number.

"Dr. Kishitani, I need you to operate on someone immediately."

On the other side of the line, Shinra excuses himself from the dinning table where Celty sat. "What kind of operation are we talking about?"

"Ah, broken leg." He vaguely explains what happened to the confused but attentive Shinra.

Shinra agrees to do the job. Before he leaves, he finishes the rest of his meal, kisses his beloved Celty's hand, and promises to tell her all about the job when he returns. He gathers his supplies, flashes Celty a wide smile as he steps out of the door and heads off to Shinjuku.

**(...to be continued...)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Play Fight (pt.4)**

When Shizuo wakes up, he finds himself laying on a couch that isn't his. His field of vision begins to sway left and right when he quickly sits up. He blinks hard, hoping that the last of the blue-ish orbs of light swimming in front of him would disappear. He opens his eyes to see a couple of large windows display a lively city breathing beneath the lightly dimmed room. In front of the windows is a desk crowded with papers and a fairly expensive computer. He can't tell what time it is, but it's safe to assume that dawn is only a couple of hours away.

Before he can ask himself where the hell he was, a small voice behind him asks, "Up already, Shizu-chan?"

He turns his head towards the voice and jumps off the couch when he sees Izaya standing in front of him with arms crossed across his chest. And then he feels a pinch of pain shoot up from his left leg. __Fuck. __He makes his hands into fists to keep the pain from showing on his face.

"Why did you bring me here?"

Izaya moves towards the desk and takes a seat on the chair behind it. "Well, I was going to drop you off at Shinra's so that he could take care of your broken leg," he shifts his gaze to the monitor, "but I have a lot of work I need to tend to so I just had him come here."

He hadn't noticed until now that his leg was bandaged up. "And you just couldn't have taken me to a hospital?"

He looks straight at Shizuo and starts to laugh. "Like you can afford going to one."

Shizuo clenches his jaw and focuses on the imprint he left on the couch.

"You're welcome."

"Tch, yeah __thanks___._" He turns to look at Izaya who doesn't even bother to look back at him. "__Thanks __for setting me up." He begins to walk towards the desk despite the pain. "__Thanks __for the fucked up leg." He stops when he's directly across from Izaya. "Thanks a lot, flea!" His leg might be broken, but his fists aren't. He lifts his right fist over the monitor and lets it fall, almost completely bending the machine in half.

"Hey!" Izaya pushes himself off his chair, his hands slam on the desk. He's so close to Shizuo's face, he could feel the hot air coming from his nose. "You're gonna have to pay for that." They stare at each other long enough for both to notice how each other's eyebrows arch, how they're eyes tremble but refuse to look away, how they're jaws relax momentarily when they swallow.

Shizuo scoffs and breaks the staring contest. "I'm not paying you shit." He removes his hand from the debris and tries to walk away, but the pain surging from his leg has come back full force.

"Shinra said you shouldn't put any pressure on your leg, Shizu-chan."

Shizuo looks over his shoulder. "Yeah, well there isn't much I can do about that."

Before he can take another step, he feels Izaya move behind him. He hesitates for a moment and then turns. Right in front of his face is a little clear, orange plastic container with a few pills inside.

"Pain killers." Izaya rattles the contents. "They're pretty effective. I think you're supposed to take one every—"

Shizuo snatches the container and pops three of the six pills.

"Always so impulsive!" He motions Shizuo to the couch. "You're not gonna get very far now."

"The hell does that mean?"

"You really are an idiot, Shizu-chan." He takes a seat on the armrest of the couch and continues. "Like I was saying before you rudely snatched the pills from my hand, those painkillers are __pretty__strong. It'd be in your best interest to stay here and wait until they wear off."

Shizuo's eyes widen at the realization. __You____'____ve ____got ____to ____be ____freakin____' ____kidding ____me___. _"Fine."

He moves to the opposite side of the couch and takes a seat. His head drops back while his hands find comfort in the insides of his pockets. In about fifteen minutes, he begins to see little figures forming on the ceiling. His mouth is slightly numb and the throbbing pain that reminded him of his broken leg melted into nothing but warm and fuzzy tingles.

Izaya was still sitting on the armrest, fiddling with his phone and paying little attention to the drugged up cripple on his right side. Something short of a giggle inclines him look into the soft glistening, yellow eyes that have diverted their attention from the invisible figures moving on the ceiling to him.

"Guess this shit's starting to kick in." Shizuo takes a finger and probes around the area of his injury. "I'm serious, Izaya. Ha-ha. It doesn't hurt at all."

"That's 'cause you're not poking hard enough." Izaya slides off the armrest and kneels before Shizuo. __Poke. __He looks up to the blonde, certain he had inflicted some sort of pain. Instead there sat cool, collected Shizuo. His arms crossed against his chest; a clear sign that he didn't feel a thing. __POKE~__

"Hmm…nothing?"

Sigh. Shizuo bends over and gets as close to Izaya's face as he can without touching him. He softly whispers, "Nope," and doesn't change his position.

"Well…would it hurt if I do _t__his_?" He leans in, mouth slightly open and targets Shizuo's lower lip. His teeth graze the lip before biting down. He pulls back a little, increasing the pressure of the bite, pulling the lip along with him.

**(...to be continued...)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Play Fight (pt.5)**

_What __the __fuck __is __this __bastard __doing? _That's the first thing that came to Shizuo's mind when Izaya was biting his lip. He knew this shit was weird, that it shouldn't be happening, that maybe it was the drugs that was making him hallucinate this. _Yeah, __that__'__s __it, __it__'__s __the __drugs._When Izaya finally let go, he tried to keep himself from doing something stupid. But damn him if that didn't feel good. _Ah, __fuck __it._

He blinks, looks straight into Izaya's eyes and says, "You're gonna have to bite me harder than that."

Without a second to spare, Izaya jumps up, grabs the blonde's face with both hands and begins to kiss him. They start slow; making sure to part their lips enough to make a subtle smacking noise. Izaya opens his mouth a little wider, allowing his teeth to softly clench the right side of Shizuo's lower lip.

Shizuo puts his hands on Izaya's back, bringing him closer. "Bite harder, idiot." Izaya let's out a playful grunt, wraps his arms around Shizuo's neck and eagerly shoves his tongue inside his partner's warm mouth.

Shizuo lifts him up from the floor, forces his legs apart with his right knee and sits him on his lap. The kisses are now gradually becoming longer. Izaya's left hand hides in the soft, blonde locks, and pulls. His right hand begins to work on the buttons of the bartender's vest. Once those are out of the way, he removes the other hand from Shizuo's hair and rips open the shirt that lies underneath.

"Bastard!"

Any other time, the damn smirk painted on Izaya's face would've been met with a vending machine, but not right now. Instead, Shizuo moves his hands over Izaya's ass and squeezes as hard as he can.

"Aah, Shizu—" Before he can finish, Shizuo pulls him in, wraps his lips around his tongue and starts to suck. His groin is right on top of Shizuo's, so whenever the blonde pulls away, he thrusts into him.

Izaya's fingertips begin to trace Shizuo's abs. His mouth is finally free from Shizuo's, so he finds a tender spot on his neck and begins to lick up and down and up and down.

_Shiver. _"Take off that stupid coat."

Izaya sits back, stares into those hungry yellow eyes and slowly unzips his coat. It's hanging around his shoulders, ready to fall off, but impatience is running thick through Shizuo's blood. He puts both hands on Izaya's shirt collar and rips the fabric straight down the middle. His hands graze Izaya's chest and settle on his hips. He holds tightly as he lowers himself on the couch.

Their lips meet again, pressing hard against each other, forcing both of the bodies to let out pain riddled moans and gasps.

Shizuo's head tilts back while his lower lip falls victim to Izaya's teeth again. "Izaya…"

The soft whisper activates Izaya's hips. He slides forward, let's go of Shizuo's lip, then slides back. His hands push against the blonde's chest, slowly clawing as his pelvis grinds and swirls around Shizuo's hardening cock.

"Uhnn..Sh-Shizu-umph!"

The hands gripping at Izaya's hips begin to guide him, quickening the pace and slowing it down whenever their hearts began to beat so fast it seemed likely they would burst out of their chests.

Izaya's lips hover over Shizuo's, occasionally bumping into his as he takes slow and heavy thrusts. His tongue slips out, traces the outline of the blonde's lips and lands a passionate kiss. "_Nnn_.." He takes a breath, tightens his legs and humps faster.

"Shit, I-Izaya…"

"Kiss me, Shizu-chan." His face is glowing, his cheeks are covered in a soft pink. "_Please._"

Shizuo pulls the dark hair on the back his lover's head. He starts kissing around the exposed throat, lightly pressing his lips as he slowly moves up. He nibbles on the chin, licks it, and takes a deep breath before burying his tongue in Izaya's mouth. Inside, the two tongues brush against each other, twirling around and around before they shy away as Shizuo's head switches direction.

Izaya's nails dig deeper. His lower body does the same.

"Aaah- k-keep doing that….flea….don't stop…."

Izaya grabs Shizuo's unbuttoned shirt by the color and flings both of their bodies to the open section of the couch. He quickly scoots down, stops when his eyes meet the belt around Shizuo's pants and unbuckles it. He unbuttons, unzips, and carefully removes Shizuo's black pants from his body. His fingers slip under the waistband of the boxers in front of him and slowly pulls them down.

Shizuo's on his elbows, looking down at Izaya with anticipation.

"Shizu-chan…" His hands begin to work on his own belt. Within seconds, he strips himself of all his clothing. He positions himself between Shizuo's legs, sticks his right index finger in his own mouth and lathers it with saliva.

With the tip of his wet finger, Izaya feels around Shizuo's hole. _Twitch. _He bends over and welcomes Shizuo's stiff member in his mouth while his fingertip traces around the small opening. He presses a little, barely poking inside.

"Wha—"

Shizuo relaxes and lays back as Izaya's mouth slides over his dick.

"Nnnn…"

The warm, curious tongue moves around the head as his lips lock on a little over half of his lover's hardness. His left hand begins to jerk what he couldn't fit in his mouth; quickly pumping up and down, filling the room with slurping noises and quiet moans.

Izaya puts his hands behind Shizuo's knees and holds them parallel to his chest. He grabs his dick with his right hand and presses the head against the blonde's hole.

"It would be a shame to let those painkillers go to waste, _ne_?"

Shizuo springs up, his hands clutching at Izaya's shoulders and begs. "N-no…Izaya!"

_Squish._

Shizuo blushes, his eyes begin to water. His lips part, releasing a quiet, but arousing grunt.

Izaya leans forward, slips his tongue into the quivering lips in front of him and let's his hips drive further inside.

Out. In. Out. In. _Slowly_. Out. In. Out. In. _Deeper_.

The string of saliva connecting their mouths disbands as Shizuo's body falls back down on the couch. The broker's left hand hand is glued to his right hip, sliding him up and down while the other, eager to please strokes the throbbing cock.

"Shit, Shizu—UH!"

Underneath him, the man he's slamming into begins to move. Legs wrap around his waist increasing the intensity of the penetration.

Sweat begins to trickle down Izaya's face, falling simultaneously with every hard hump. He's going much faster now, slapping his grown against Shizuo's ass. His mouth opens to let out something, but all that comes out are broken grunts.

"I-..Izaya.."

Shizuo throws his pelvis into the air. It hangs there and trembles as his dick relieves itself from the milk inside. "Unph!"

"Uh-uhm…." Izaya's squeezes his eyes shut, throws his head back and comes inside Shizuo.

Shallow breaths echo around the room. Izaya's body slumps beside Shizuo. He removes a few wet strands from the blonde's face and kisses him one more time before resting his head on his chest.

Just as the sun peers into the room, the lovers wrap their arms around each other and wonder off to a sweet slumber.


	7. Chapter 7

**Shizuo Gains Control**

It's been at least two months since he last saw him. Two fucking months and the damn louse hasn't even tried to set up a petty, public fight. "_Tch, __whatever.__" _The loneliness that surrounded him was becoming unbearable, but it wasn't until after he nearly destroyed his home when he figured the only thing he could do was try to figure out why Izaya started this whole affair. He's kept himself in his house almost every single day since his stay in Shinjuku and only ventures outside when he's run out of cigarettes or alcohol.

The trip from Ikebukuro to Shinjuku was quick, so he wasn't really able to figure out what he wanted to say when he got there. He had paced around for what seemed like hours outside the flea's place, occasionally looking up to see if Izaya was even there. Nothing he recited in his head made any sense, so he sought it best to leave before he wound up engaging in some freak fantasy and headed back to his place.

He unlocks the door, takes an anxious drag from the cigarette hanging from his lips and watches as the cloud of smoke explodes from his mouth and into his crappy abode. He flops on his couch and tries to fall asleep, but everything in his shitty place reminded him of the night he spent in Shinjuku. He tilts his head back, brings the last bottle of beer he owns to his lips and takes a sip. He's not drunk yet, but if the thought of Izaya's warm body against his leeches into his head again he will be. He takes another drink, looks at the bottle and chugs the rest. His arm falls to his side, allowing the bottle to fall into the pile of trash that has collected throughout the last couple of weeks.

There's a sudden knock on his door. Tom has visited a few times, and despite the late hour, Shizuo doesn't consider an alternative. _Knock, __knock!_ He picks himself off his couch, opens the door and places his right hand on the door frame to keep his visitor from seeing the condition he's been living in.

"Did you really think you could walk around in circles like a sad, little dog outside my building without me noticing?" The disgust that radiated from the words catch Shizuo off guard.

__Where ____the ____hell ____is ____this ____coming ____from? ____Wasn____'____t ____it ____this ____bastard____'____s ____idea ____to ____fool ____around ____in ____the ____first ____place?__

Izaya pushes his way inside the dark room. "Look, Shizu-chan…"

"Stop calling me that, you piece of shit."

"Well, you didn't seem to mind when you were—"

Shizuo's hand flies towards Izaya. He wraps his fingers around the collar of his shirt and lifts him from the ground. "What the fuck is going on, huh?"

Izaya doesn't say anything. He just smiles.

"Tch." Shizuo throws Izaya to the floor as hard as he can. He has his back turned on Izaya, focusing on the bottles that decorate the floor and trying to pick one out that may contain a few drops of liquid.

"There's nothing you can do that will erase what we did. You can try to puff away or drown yourself in as many bottles of awamori as you please, but you'll never forget how I made you feel."

Shizuo stops. The hands in his pocket turn into fists. "D'you want to know how you make me feel, flea?" His head slightly turns. "Angry...Annoyed…Sick… Everyday, for the past two months," he pauses and lets out a laugh. "No, actually, for as long as I've known you, I've felt _sick_."

"Ah." Izaya picks himself up from the floor and dusts himself off. He sticks his hands in his coat pockets and begins to walk towards Shizuo. "Really, Shizu-chan your words won't—" He's interrupted by an array of heavy fists and hate coated words.

"Fucking louse, how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that!" Shizuo throws punches left and right. Izaya dodges every single blow; except for the one that lands on his gut, rendering him to his knees.

A kick to the chest pushes the information broker on his back. He lays there for a while, clutching at his pain and staring into the ceiling. Shizuo's face peers into his vision.

He's standing over Izaya. His left hand pulling on the collar of the black shirt in front of him. Izaya's mouth is glistening with blood. "I'm going to kill you." Their heads inching closer as every word escapes from the blonde's lips.

"Ahaha-haha. You can't." A small stream of blood flows down Izaya's chin. "Face it Shizu-chan, you'll never be able to kill me."

Shizuo let's go of the collar, allowing Izaya's head to fall back on the floor. "I'm so tired of your bullshit games, Izaya." He twists to the right, bends his arm at the elbow and throws a punch straight at Izaya's face. His left fist follows. Right, left, right, left, right, left. Small grunts elude from the bruised face. Shizuo doesn't stop.

Izaya's head violently turns left and right. His eyes are beginning to swell and just as he's about to close them, he catches a glimpse of his attacker's flustered face.

Shizuo's jaw is tense. His lips are pressing hard against each other. His head is low and a few yellow strands of hair almost makes it hard to see the tears he's so desperately fighting back.

_Why- -why is he crying?_ Izaya blinks and looks again. "Sh-Shizu-.."

"Tch, die!" He pulls back his right arm and hardens his fist. Izaya shuts his eyes and forces the muscles on his face to form a smirk. If he's going to die, he might as well die with the smile that drove the brute insane.

Instead, the fist lands an inch away from his head, shattering the floor that had been hiding beneath several bottles. He lifts his hand and punches the rubble over, and over, and over again.

"Izaya..." His gaze still low. "Why?"

"Why, what?"

Shizuo clears the trash next to him and sits on the floor. His knees are close to his chest while his left hand covers his eyes."Why are you doing this to me?"

Izaya doesn't move, but begins to speak. "It's a bit arrogant of you to assume that my life revolves around you, _ne?_ Granted I have fun making you jump through hoops, but that doesn't mean anything." He shifts his weight to his elbows and proceeds. "The way you fight against everyone I've sent after you, now that's what I'm really intrigued by. You may not be smart, Shizu-chan, but you sure can put up a fight."

Shizuo removes the hand from his face and locks his eyes on Izaya. "Fucking asshole."

"Ah, that's another story. You see, even though I'm fairly certain you aren't human, the way your body shook for me almost convinced me otherwise."

"You're telling me you had me drugged so you can see whether or not I'm a fucking human?"

"_I_ didn't drug you." Izaya moves in closer, pointing his index finger towards Shizuo. "_You_ took those pills out of my hand and shoved them down your throat."

"But," Shizuo hesitates before he continues, "you kissed me. Y-you fucking started this...whatever this is!"

"And what exactly did I start? Look, whatever happened on that skyscraper, in the warehouse and in my place of business is in the past. It's not like I was hoping you'd ask me to be your lover afterwards." Izaya sits straight when Shizuo drifts his attention to the wall in front of him. "What a display of human-like characteristics! I apologize if I ever led you to believe I wanted some sort of relationship with you, Shizu-chan."

Without having anything to say to the bastard taunting him, Shizuo gets up and marches towards the door. He stands there for a moment, gathers himself and softly whispers, "Get out."

Silence.

"I said ...get...out!" Fueled by an immense sense of frustration and shame, Shizuo grabs at the back of the flea's hood and pulls him up. Izaya's switchblade knife was already exposed and ready to be used. Within seconds, it was being pressed against Shizuo's neck.

The blonde trips and lands on his couch. _Shit. _Izaya's hovering over him, increasing the pressure of his blade against his flesh. The two begin to struggle. Shizuo manages to snatch the blade from Izaya's hand with his teeth and flings it as far away as he can.

Izaya knows he doesn't really stand a chance without his weapon, so he settles with the only ammunition he has left and plants a kiss on Shizuo's lips.

The blonde takes advantage and flips his position. He pins Izaya's arms against his couch and stares at him with wild eyes. It doesn't take long before their lips meet again, roughly pressing against each other.

Shizuo's hands slip underneath Izaya's shirt, gently massaging the skin with his fingertips. He sits Izaya up and removes his coat along with his shirt and begins to work on the flea's belt. Izaya begins to kick off his pants as Shizuo stands up and rids himself of his clothing.

Shizuo bends over, locks his hand in Izaya's hair and pulls him up. He holds him in close, drowning him in wet, passionate kisses. Izaya lowers himself to his knees and caresses Shizuo's cock with his mouth and tongue.

"Shit...a-ah..."

Izaya places on hand on Shizuo's ass, jerks the moist cock with the other and starts to suck on his balls. _Pop! _He continues to change his focus between the hard dick and balls until the head explodes with cum. He smears the sticky substance over Shizuo's dick. He's about to lick it clean when Shizuo pulls him back on his feet and bends him over the couch.

The blonde holds him down with one hand and lathers the other with his own spit. He singles his index finger and pushes it inside Izaya's hole. "Shizu-unph!"

Shizuo curves his hand along with Izaya's ass and continues to push his finger deeper inside. Heavy gasps are broken by a low, seductive growl. "Stop teasing and fuck me already."

The finger slowly slips out. Shizuo places his hands on Izaya's hips and repositions the body in a comfortable position before shoving himself in as deep as he can. Izaya's body immediately springs up, allowing the blonde to kiss the nape of his neck. Shizuo pulls out a little, spreads Izaya's ass with his hands and thrusts back in. Short breaths and painful moans begin to echo as the thrusts become rhythmic.

"Uhh- go faster...Shizu-chan..."

Shizuo increases the pace, but is forced to slow down. He can't believe how tight Izaya is and if he wants to make this last, he's got to be able to control himself. So instead, he pulls on his partner's hair and tilts his head enough to secure a few, hard kisses. The same hand then travels along Izaya's side, moves forward and wraps around the erected muscle.

Izaya bends down again, makes sure the bartender has enough room to continue jerking him off and starts to push himself against Shizuo. Out, in; over and over and over and over...

"F-fuck...Izaya..." His eyes squeeze shut.

"Nnn...don't stop!"

Izaya slaps the hand off his cock and begins to jerk himself off. Shizuo places the hand on Izaya's hips and holds them there with so much pressure there's no doubt he'll leave bruises.

The slapping sound that surrounds the room when both bodies slam into each other lingers as their bodies tense up. Shallow breaths beg for fresh air, but instead find themselves clinging on opposite lips. Izaya grinds his lower body into Shizuo's as they both come.

An exhausted Shizuo falls on top of Izaya. They lay there for a while before Izaya decides to break the hug. "Don't go on thinking this means anything that what it actually is."

Shizuo looks at Izaya. "And what is that?"

Izaya reaches for his clothes and begins to put them on. "_Nothing._"

Shizuo stands behind Izaya and spins him around. "Yeah, right." His hands crawl over the broker's cheeks and forces his lips against Izaya's.

"I'm serious, Shizu-chan. There's no future in this." Shizuo kisses him again. "I'm going to make sure you hate me more than ever after this."

The blonde looks straight into Izaya's eyes and scoffs. "Tch, whatever." He leans in for one last kiss, but decides it best to throw him out of his room along with the dying need to taste those lips again. Izaya flashes him the damn smirk before he turns to walk away.

Shizuo closes the door behind him and sighs. Before tonight, he was positive Izaya was only using him for some weird sex game. And though that's true, he's also become aware of how Izaya crumbles beneath him. If Izaya wants to fuck with him, he can fuck him right back.


	8. Chapter 8

**Check-up**

The ding of the elevator knocks him out of his daydream. As it opens, he shakes off the sensation of longing that has kept him from acting like his usual self and heads toward the door to Shinra's apartment. He knocks twice, waits and knocks again. "Shinra, open the damn door!"

On the opposite side of the door, a wimpy voice calls out to the blonde. "Hold on, I'm coming! No need to break down the door." The door clicks open and an irritated Shizuo is welcomed inside.

"What happened to the crutches I gave you the last time you came by?"

"Didn't need 'em."

"Ah." Shinra moves past the blonde and directs him to the couch. "_Right_," he says under his breath.

Shizuo takes a seat and lets Dr. Kishitani inspect the leg. "Well, it looks like it's healing pretty well." He probes the knee. "I don't think you're ready to work just yet, but I don't see a problem with you being more active."

Shinra moves to the kitchen and offers Shizuo a cup of coffee.

"No, thanks. I gotta get going anyway."

"If you don't mind me asking," the next words are muffled by the sounds of spices and soup cans being moved, "what exactly happened that night?" He finds the sugar and sets it on the table.

"What?" growls Shizuo.

"It's just that," Shinra searches for a spoon, "Izaya vaguely told me how you broke your leg and," he begins to stir his coffee and continues. "I was hoping you'd fill me in."

"There's nothing to explain." Shizuo could tell Shinra wasn't satisfied by that answer. __Sigh___. _"The damn louse sent some assholes after me. One of the bastards took a bat to my leg and fucking broke it."

"Ah. Yeah, that's what he told me." Sip. "Well, except for the bat part, but- -."

Shizuo interrupts him. "I'm leaving." He gets off the couch and starts to make his way to the door.

"I just don't understand why he took you to his place. So much for hating each other, huh?" Shizuo stops.

Shinra's eyes widen when he hears what just came out of his mouth. _Did I say that out loud? Oh, God. He's going to kill me. Oh, my poor Celty! I know, I'll write her a love note with my own blood…that's romantic, right? Maybe it'll be enough to grant me a passionate ki—_

"I'm uh- I didn't mean anything by that." Shinra's face is burning red. "It's just that it doesn't make any sense."

That was something Shizuo didn't understand either. He tries to figure it out every chance he gets, but he comes up with nothing. Every time he thinks he's figured Izaya out, he remembers everything the damn flea has told him. _'__Don__'__t __go __on __thinking __this __means __anything __than __what __it __actually __is.__'_ Goddammit, what the hell does that mean? _'__Nothing.'_ Tch, yeah. Nothing.

Just then, Shinra's cell phone begins to ring. Before the blonde's hand can fall on the handle, it freezes when the four-eye doctor enunciates the flea's name.

Everything around him fades and just like that, he's back to square one; dreaming up stupid scenarios and distorted fantasies of a future with the one that's had it out for him since the day they met. _Cringe~_

"Does she have to go right now? No, no. I understand." Click.

"It's like he knows I'm here…" Shizuo realizes the chances of that are slim, but goddammit, it wouldn't surprise him if the flea did know he was there.

"Sorry about that," says Shinra as he scratches the nape of his neck. "Oh, before I forget…" He opens a drawer, picks something up, and walks behind Shizuo. "Take these." The arm stretches out. Shizuo looks at the hand laying out next to him and almost punches a hole through the door when he sees the orange container. "I imagine you must still be in some sort of pain."

"Get that shit out of my face."

"They're just pain killers." _Rattle~_

Shizuo turns around, ready to reek havoc on the walls around him when he notices the black, smoky swirls forming above Shinra. Celty takes a minute to stretch before she starts to walks toward the two men. She stops when she's shoulder to shoulder with the man that loves her.

"Good morning, Celty!" The perky tone in Shinra's voice almost softens the rage burning inside the blonde.

A small, black cloud peers from her wrist along with her trusty tool of communication. ["What's going on?"]

"Ah, nothing. Shizuo just came for a check-up."

"Yeah." Shizuo takes a deep breath and tries to sound as calm as possible. "I gotta go."

["Are you okay?"]

Shizuo stares at the screen for a moment. "Yeah."

Celty could tell he was lying, but trying to press him to talk would be difficult, especially with Shinra present. She types something else and gives Shinra a look. ["Anything happening today?"]

While Shinra tells Celty about the job she's been asked to do, Shizuo takes the opportunity to excuse himself. The couple waves good-bye, Shinra tells him to "Stop by sometime next week, but not this early!" and closes the apartment door. He steps into the elevator, presses the designated button for the first floor, and leans against the wall. As soon as the doors close, he finds himself thinking about Izaya. Again.

Each thought is burning with hate, passion, anger, and... frustration. "It doesn't mean anything," he tells himself.

"He..." Images of Izaya flash before him. The taste of his lips, the warmth of his body, that fucking grin, the way he moves when he's - -when he's - - goddammit. The doors open. "He means nothing."


	9. Chapter 9

**Advice**

Shizuo steps out into the street and begins to walk aimlessly. He's not allowed back to work, mostly under Tom's request, and sticking around at his place doing nothing is the last thing he wants to do. He searches for his trusty pack of cigarettes and picks one out. The lighter flicks on, coloring the cigarette in his mouth with red-orange hues, instantly easing the negativity that was brewing inside. The neigh of a supernatural stallion echoes and stops him in his tracks. Within a matter of seconds, the headless rider and her companion are at his side.

["What's going on, Shizuo? I haven't seen or heard from you in a while."]

"Can't really do much with this leg, y'know."

["Didn't think you'd be one to follow Shinra's rules."]

Shizuo chuckles. "Well, I need to get better or else I won't be able to work."

["You know you can always talk to me whenever you need to, right?"] And he did, but how can he talk to anyone about this mess? He knows he can trust Celty with anything, that she wouldn't judge him or make him feel like a fool and yet...

"Yeah, I know." Puff.

["Hop on. Let me give you a ride home."]

Before he can reject the offer, a sleek, black helmet manifests itself on his head. He takes a long puff from his half-smoked cigarette, throws it on the floor, and hops on.

During the ride, he thinks of ways to talk to Celty about Izaya without giving too much away. How can he accurately describe the way he feels when he thinks about the flea, or sees him, or hears him? It's like having a million butterflies, no, scratch that...It's like having a billion of Izaya's trusty flickblades slashing at the insides in the pit of his stomach. And as if that wasn't enough, his heart beat quickens, his head begins to spin, and everything feels like it's going to crumble around him. And yet, everything would be just fine if he can get him in his arms.

Shooter parks and he get's off. He looks at Celty, considers telling her what he's come up with, but doesn't. Instead, he asks, "How do I tell someone that I, y'know, think about them a lot?"

[The best advice I can give you is to be honest. If this person is making you feel this way, let them know."]

"You mean, like Shinra?"

[Granted Shinra can be a little too honest about his feelings towards me, but if he wasn't I wouldn't be able to consider returning those feelings some day.]

"Hmmm." Shizuo knows it's a long shot, but maybe Izaya will be able to do the same. "Well, thanks for the advice."

["No problem."] The PDA disappears into her sleeve.

Shizuo pats the front bender of Celty's bike, thanks Shooter for the ride, and watches as they zoom down the street.

He walks into his house, throws himself on his bed and reaches inside his pocket. His eyes watch as the light coming from his window reflects on the flickblade Izaya left on the floor a few nights ago. His fingers trace the sharp edge of the blade, swiftly brushing up and down, admiring the resemblance it holds with it's owner. He kicks of his shoes, rolls on his side and sets the blade on his nightstand.

"Goddamn flea," is the last thing he says before he falls asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Day Off**

In Shinjuku, while Shizuo dreams about chasing Izaya down the streets of Ikebukuro, Izaya is sitting in front of his computer. He's been talking to some kid about the perils of life all morning and the conversation, like many others he's had before, is beginning to bore him. "_Wonder what you'll think of your life when we meet_," he says to himself. He promises to continue the conversation some other time, logs off, and looks up at the woman whose lost herself in the bookshelves in front of her. "What's my schedule like for today, Namie?"

She settles the book back in it's place, looks over the rails connected to the staircase and says, "The CEO of TV Asahi postponed today's meeting for the 28th of this month."

"What a shame!" He leans back. "I was looking forward to that." He's lying. "Anything else?"

"No." Namie walks down the stairs. "Is there anything you need me to do?"

"Let's see," Izaya looks up at the ceiling and thinks. "Actually, there isn't. Why don't you take this time to do some holiday shopping?"

Namie looks at Izaya as if he's said something strange. She didn't think he'd have a spec of holiday spirit in him, but who knows. He probably has some twisted plans up his sleeve instead of gifts and candy canes anyway. Chances are she'll hear something about it before it's set into play. She gestures good-bye and walks to the door.

As it opens, Izaya calls out. "Don't forget to get me something! _Oh_," she stops, her head slightly turned, "be sure to pick up something nice for Seiji." The door slams shut. "Heh."

He spins his chair around, pulls out a pair of theater binoculars, and studies the sea of people hurrying below him. There's a girl with bright red hair talking to some hot-shot high schooler who's obviously trying a little too hard to seal the deal. A young couple sits closely together; trying to hide their domestic problems in front of their friends. An old, tired man sits outside a nice restaurant in a table for five people; alone. "Hmmm."

Izaya drifts his focus further down the sidewalk. He freezes when he spots a man with a suit and blonde hair. "Shizu-chan?" He leans in closer, tilting his head side to side, opening his eyes wide and squeezing them to get a better glimpse. The man turns. It isn't him.

The arm drops. His vision blurs as the sounds that echoed in the room when Shizuo was there start to vibrate in his ears. He catches his reflection in the window and sees the marks his face has had to flaunt in front of his clients. Shizuo did this to him. He intended to do worse, but he stopped. Why?

He sets the eye-wear on the desk and looks over at his couch. "It's about time I get rid of you, _ne_?" His right hand shoots out, releasing a new flickblade from his sleeve. His lips stretch. "Die!" He takes off running, jumps over the armrest closest to him, and lands on the couch._ Slash!_ _Stab!_ _Rip!_

"Ahahaha! Hahaha!" The polyester stuffing begins to fly everywhere, flooding his vision with foam snow, but then... he sees him. Shizuo's body is laying under him, swimming in the debris of the mutilated couch. Izaya's pupils dilate as his smirk fades into a firm pout. "Does a monster even have a heart?" The flickblade falls one last time, puncturing the imaginary Shizuo right in the chest.

"Ah, what does it matter." The mirage evaporates. "It's not like Shizu-chan would know what it's for," he pulls the flickblade from the battered cushion before he continues, "or what to do with it."

He zips up his coat, leaps off what's left of his couch and struts down the stairs that lead to the street.

He calls out for a taxi, waits for it to park and takes a seat on the back. "One way to I-ke-bukurooo!"


	11. Chapter 11

********NOTE** **I thought it would be silly of me to upload these two short chapters separately, so I just put them together. This is taking place on the same day as the last three (?) chapters. These two incidents are occurring at the same time, but in Izaya's _and_ Shizuo's eyes, so yeah (just wanted to clear that up). Also, I really want to take this time to thank everyone who has bothered to read this story. UvU It means a lot! 3

Anyway, enough of _that. _Here's chapter 11 ^.^

**Izaya: **

The taxi driver looks at his rear view mirror and notices the look on Izaya's face. He doesn't seem sad, or worried, or even slightly aware of his surroundings. He looks like he's thinking…deeply…about someone.

And he was. He thought about what he had put Shizuo through since the day they met. How he's framed him, made him feel like an idiot and constantly reminding him how much of a monster he is, but…. that seems so far away now. The only memories lingering now are the ones that involve being tangled in each others arms. And then, the only question he isn't so sure he can answer without unfolding and revealing his own twisted human nature pops in his head. _"Why are you doing this to me?"_

"Do you really want to know?" He didn't mean to ask out loud, but realizes he had when he hears the driver talk about how someone so young shouldn't have the weight of the world on their shoulders. That talking about what's troubling us now will help us later in the future. He considered entertaining the idea, but he doesn't see a point to it. Talking about this isn't an option because it's nothing more than a test gone awry. Shizu-chan wasn't supposed to let him go as far as he did that night on the skyscraper. He wasn't supposed to tie him up in that warehouse nor was he supposed to tremble underneath him the way he did on his now nonexistent couch. But what's worse isn't was Shizuo did, but rather what he himself allowed to happen. That's really bothered him —he let things spiral out of his control.

The man's voice seeps into his ear again, snapping him out of his daydream and back to the bore of the car ride. He notices the heavy traffic, spots a furniture store at the end of the block and decides to walk there.

He pulls out enough money to cover more than a day's worth of fare and gets out.

**Shizuo:**

The bed sheets lie tussled on the ground. The pillows are drenched in sweat. The body on the bed tosses and turns, struggling to clear his mind of the words he knows he shouldn't say out loud. Shizuo can't count how many times he's looked at the digital clock on his dresser in the past five hours, but he's certain it's bound to be nighttime by now. He waits for his vision to clear and stares at the time to find that only ten minutes have passed. "Oi."

He catches a glimpse of the flickblade on the nightstand, reaches out for it, but pulls his hand back. Instead, he rubs the bridge of his nose, puts on his shades and stares at the ceiling. Maybe he should go out for a walk or a drink. No, he should just stay home and wait for all of this to blow over.

But, what if it doesn't? What if he and Izaya, y'know, got together? "_What the hell is wrong with me?_" Thinking like that is only making things worse and if there's one thing he's certain about, one thing that's made any sort of sense since Izaya became more than just the man he wanted to kill is that __this__is something Izaya wouldn't allow, right? But...

He knows Celty said he should be honest, but what's the point if you can't trust the person you want to be honest with? For fuck's sake, this is Izaya we're talking about. And suddenly, all of the hope and wishful thinking that had Shizuo running around in circles quickly turns into unnerving anger. There's no way in hell he's going to destroy his home more than it already is, so he settles with clouding his lungs and room with smoke.

Shizuo opens the last drawer in his nightstand and opens a new pack of his favorite nicotine stick. He pulls out his lighter, flicks on the flame and sparks the far end, distorting the white paper and tobacco with black and orange. He sucks slowly, gently releasing the gray shadows into the air along with the endless mental pictures involving the flea.

He crushes the cigarette butt on his crowded ashtray, readjusts himself on the bed and closes his eyes. He's about to fall asleep again when he feels his cell phone vibrate inside his pants pocket. He answers the phone, reluctantly accepts Tom's offer for Russian Sushi and heads out.


	12. Chapter 12

There was a strong, short breeze that ruffled Izaya's hair back and forth when he stepped out of the cab. He looked up a little, covering his squinting eyes with one hand and noticed that the sun was being enveloped by gray clouds. He shoves his hands in his pockets and walks down the street, toward the furniture store at the corner. He stops at the display window, slightly disappointed by the poor selection of sofas, chairs and love seats when he spots a lavish velvet sectional couch at the farthest end of the store.

He pulls the door open and walks inside, steadily making his way down the maze made up of furniture until he reaches the object that caught his attention. His fingertips trail over the cotton material as he walks around the couch. Upon closer look, he notices the pattern that's etched onto every inch of the fabric. Soft swirls that resemble the shade of Shizuo's eyes come into focus. His eyebrows draw closer together as admiration turns into anger, muffling the voice behind him.

"Sir?" the voice asks again. "Are you finding everything okay?"

He drops his head, lets out a heavy sigh and answers meekly. "Actually," he turns, "I was wondering if you have this in another colo- -" Before he can finish speaking, he sees Shizuo walking on the opposite side of the street. He retracts his flickblade, jumps over the objects in front of him and shoots out of the window. Shards of glass explode arounf him, slightly cutting his cheeks and forehead. But he doesn't pay the blood flowing down his face any attention and presses on with his attack.

Shizuo turns to face the direction in which the noise came from. His cigarette falls to the floor when he sees Izaya armed and running towards him. He doesn't know what to think… Maybe this is just Izaya keeping up appearances. Maybe Izaya's trying to start some sort of cat and mouse game that will lead to something sexual. Or maybe…

The blond steps out of the way before Izaya's blade has the opportunity to make contact with his flesh. He rips a door from the blue Nissan next to him and throws it at the informant.

Izaya spins out of its way, clutches his weapon harder and lunges at his target again and again and again until they both stumble into an alley.

"What the hell, Izaya?"

The roll of thunder snaps him out of his confused state. Everything after the moment he noticed the detail on the velvet couch was a blur. He looks at his surroundings, at his quivering hands, and eventually, at the man looking right at him. He shoots his attention upward and lets out a laugh.

"What's up with you, huh?"

A slew of water begins to rain down on them as Izaya shouts, "Oh, the irony!"

Shizuo walks toward Izaya, who's now welcoming the downpour with open arms. "Hey!" He places his hands on the broker's shoulders. "What's going on?"

Izaya brushes him off, walks deeper into the alley and speaks. "Isn't this something you'd see in a movie?" Chuckle. "Here I am, throwing myself into the pit of frustratin, coming after you the same way you __used __to come after me. I should really know better than to be as impulsive as you, Shizu-chan. And, look at that, mother nature seems to agree." He looks back and continues, "It was fun while it lasted, ne?"

The words stop the blond dead in his tracks. "Is this you're way of telling me that what's been happening between us is over?" Shizuo had prepared himself for this moment. He had planned to give Izaya a punch in the face no matter what stupid excuse he'd give him for ending this, but if this affair or whatever you wanna call it is really going to be over, he's going to let Izaya know how he feels. "You think it's that easy, huh?"

"Isn't it?" asks Izaya as he turns to face the man whose clenching his jaw and hardening his fists.

Shizuo shakes his head, walks up to Izaya and places his hands on the small shoulders in front of him. "D'you have any idea how many times you crossed my mind these last couple of months? How I'd lay in bed and wonder why you would wanna fuck me over or send some low class shit eaters to beat the hell out of me only to have you throw all that hate outta the window when we - -"

"Ah, so you do have a heart." _Sigh_. "It seems like you've forgotten that the only things I'm capable of loving are the people that inhabit this world and you're not a part of that group, so that can only mean that I'll never be able to reciprocate those feelings you have towards me. Now, if you'll excuse me I have work I need to tend to." Izaya tries to free himself from Shizuo's grip, but finds it impossible when the blond slams him against a wall.

"You're so full of shit."

"I am?" A sly grin curves on Izaya's face. "What makes you say that?"

Shizuo leans in. "There's no way in hell you can look at me and kiss me and touch me the way you do and not have it mean something." He's right. Shizuo has no idea what chord he just struck in Izaya. One that annihilates all of the heated quarrels into nothing more than hopeless attempts to physically manifest the uncertainty and interest Shizuo strikes in him. "You can try to talk your way out of this, but you're not leaving until I'm done saying what I needa say."

"Let me go, Shizu-chan." The grip on his shoulders tightens. "Look, I don't need to hear a lecture, especially by the likes of you."

"Well too-fucking-bad. Now listen to me."

Izaya sways his head back and forth, trying desperately to irritate Shizuo enough to force him to let go, but his childish attempt only beckons the blond to press him harder against the wall with one hand while the other holds on to his neck and jaw. "Listen to me! I don't give two shits what you think about me, but I…" He stops for a moment while his head tries to remember what he wanted to say and how he needed to say it. "I- - I like you, Izaya-kun."

"You what?" His eyes widen. "No, you don't. You like what we do, that's it."

"Tch, that's what I thought at first." Shizuo softens his grip on the flea's neck, sweeps the hand across Izaya's forehead and settles it on his cheek. "I like the way you press your body against mine when we're together. I like the way you say my name, I like the feeling I get when I watch you while you rest in my arms." He continues to list the many things that he likes about Izaya; like his hair, eyes, hands and even his '_fucking stupid grin_'.

Meanwhile, Izaya thought of something to say to keep him from falling for Shizuo's words, but what good would that do now? If he denies this moment and everything that's already happened, he'd only be doing himself a disservice.

Shizuo's now going on and on about his initial fears that have kept him from being involved in any sort of romantic relationship with anyone. "I know I'd find a way to fuck something like that up, even if I didn't intend to." He drops his head.

_He's being honest, isn't he? _Fighting these feelings any longer will enslave Izaya and cause him to stay up late hours into the night while he struggles to interpret them as something else. And so, he gives into them. "Shizu-chan?"

The blond looks up, unsure of what to expect when he feels Izaya press his lips against his.


End file.
